Canyon Residents Question Planning of PCH, Cali Incline Projects

Equating the anticipated traffic gridlock around Santa Monica Canyon to the 405 Freeway’s “Carmageddon,” City Councilmember Mike Bonin and Santa Monica traffic engineers addressed the construction projects affecting travel at the Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association’s annual meeting on Tuesday, May 13.

Not only is the City of Los Angeles performing sewer construction at all hours every day through April 2015 while adjusting and reducing lanes along Pacific Coast Highway, but Santa Monica officials are also preparing PCH drivers for the closure and reconstruction of the California Incline, slated to begin in September.

“It’s going to be a painful project for the people of Santa Monica, Santa Monica Canyon and the people who use PCH,” Bonin said.

Delays in emergency response are a primary concern for Canyon and Palisades residents. Some residents expressed concern that city officials in L.A. and Santa Monica did not communicate enough prior to the start of the coastal inceptor sewer relief work overlapping with the California Incline closure as posing a PCH traffic nightmare.

Sam Morrissey, Santa Monica traffic engineer, said they have a complete traffic management plan that’s been developing since 2013 with Caltrans, which anticipates the increase in use of the Moomat Ahiko ramp, once the California Incline closes.

The plan includes using sensors and changing message board signs to measure how many vehicles go beyond a certain point, using traffic counts before and after the Incline project starts and using detours. Morrissey reminded Canyon residents that a PCH lane would not be lost during the Incline work, unlike the sewer project.

“We want to be nimble to respond,” he said. “Managing traffic is like managing a symptom, each one has a side effect.”

Morrissey added there’s a bonus performance incentive for the California Incline project to be completed closer to its 12-month window than the 18-month window, only impacting one summer season and not 2016.

Canyon resident Colleen McAndrews added that a separate trench project began last week on Entrada Drive south of San Lorenzo Street, further highlighting a lack of planning by both cities.

Palisadian David Card added seeing lawless drivers disobeying the lane reductions is an added frustration that poses safety risks.

Also at the annual meeting, the SMCCA highlighted the Rustic Canyon Park eucalyptus grove re-opening coming up on May 29, as well as introduced the long-range plans to restore the historic Rustic Canyon Clubhouse.